Chapter 28 Neck Pillow She seemed to have done something wrong.
After rehearsing the last piece of the day, Dvořák's Ninth Symphony, the pre-performance run-through was finally over.
Liang Yizhi's nerves, like the strings of a violin, were taut and stretched, repeatedly pulled back and forth by the bow, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. Now, she finally had a chance to catch her breath.
After sitting for more than two hours, she returned to the lounge, tilted her head, and rubbed her sore neck and shoulders from looking down for so long.
Wu You was rubbing her lower back; the two of them looked like they had just come from a rehabilitation center.
Wu You hunched over: "It seems my music career is going to come to an end because of my herniated disc."
Leung Yik-chi said, "That's great. It seems we can still meet at the physiotherapy center after we leave the band."
After they finished speaking, they both laughed.
The orchestra's concertmaster, Shi Ruocheng, passed by and, seeing them, asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Wu You straightened his back: "It's nothing, Brother Shi, it's just an old problem."
Shi Ruocheng nodded. After a while, he brought over an electric hot water bottle and handed it to Wu You, saying, "You can use it to cool down first."
Wu You exclaimed in surprise, "How thoughtful of you, Brother Shi! I'll borrow it for a while and return it to you before the performance."
Shi Ruocheng shook his head: "It's alright, you can use it. Applying a hot water bottle will only provide temporary relief."
"Thanks, that's solved our immediate problem."
Shi Ruocheng glanced at her, thought for a moment, and then spoke up: "You seem to have a bit of scoliosis?"
Wu You was taken aback: "Huh? Yes, it's been like this for a long time."
"Have you been to the hospital?"
“Yes,” Wu You answered honestly, “but the doctor said there’s no cure, only some relief through exercise.”
Shi Ruocheng said, "I know a traditional Chinese medicine doctor who is very good at bone setting and massage. He might be able to help you correct it. Scoliosis is not a minor problem, so you must take it seriously. I'll send it to you on WeChat later."
Liang Yizhi, standing to the side, rested her chin on her hand and watched the two of them, noticing something subtle.
Shi Ruocheng had only recently joined the orchestra, and they weren't very familiar with him yet, only exchanging work-related information. Wu You was flattered and smiled awkwardly, "How could I possibly accept this?"
"It's alright." Shi Ruocheng said with a straight face, and then said to Liang Yizhi beside him, "You too, be careful of getting frozen shoulder. It's best if we go to see a doctor together. If a small illness is left untreated, it can become a chronic disease."
Liang Yizhi chuckled and replied, "Okay, thank you, Brother Shi."
After Shi Ruocheng walked away, the two of them put their heads together again.
Liang Yizhi said, "Brother Shi is so thoughtful, isn't he?"
“Don’t look at me like that,” Wu You said. “It makes me feel uncomfortable.”
Liang Yizhi patted her shoulder with a smile, "Look how nice Brother Shi is. He even knows how to extend his love to those around him. He was afraid I would find out, so he added a comment."
Even without Liang Yizhi saying anything, Wu You could sense the special care Shi Ruocheng was giving her.
After he joined the band, he often struck up conversations with Wu You. However, Shi Ruocheng was a calm and composed person who didn't talk much. He always got straight to the point and wouldn't waste each other's time with idle gossip. Therefore, Wu You wasn't particularly averse to him.
Liang Yizhi asked, "Didn't you want to find a partner? Why don't you consider Brother Shi?"
“I’m not attracted to Brother Shi,” Wu You said, scratching his face. “Besides, you know, I’m just incompatible with this kind of leadership personality. Commander, chief, no way…”
Shih Jo-cheng was recruited as the orchestra's principal violinist, playing a leadership role second only to the conductor, guiding everyone in rehearsals and undertaking coordination work.
Wu You had been afraid of teachers since she was a child, and then she was afraid of commanders when she grew up. Now that someone had appeared who was somewhere between a teacher and a commander, and who even had feelings for her, she naturally avoided him like the plague and never even considered that their relationship could be anything more than that.
Wu You weighed the pros and cons: "Besides, we work in the same unit. Whether we date or break up, it will be very awkward afterwards."
Liang Yizhi understood her feelings: "So, do you have a suitable candidate to deal with your parents' pressure to get married?"
"No, not yet." Wu You sighed. "The one my friend introduced me to last time didn't work out either; she talked too much. You know, I haven't been able to find anyone. Is it really because my standards are too high?"
What are your requirements?
"Well... I prefer someone who is healthy, but I like him to be a bit muscular; good-looking, preferably handsome; not too talkative, but with high emotional intelligence; and preferably hardworking, able to help me with housework."
"Oh, right, and the most, most important thing," Wu You said, "we can't be too poor."
Liang Yizhi pursed her lips, stroked her chin thoughtfully, and said, "I think I know why you're single."
Wu You deflated, and his shoulders slumped.
The performance officially began at 7:30 p.m.
The conductor for this concert was a renowned conductor from Austria. Under his direction, one piece of music after another was played, and the hour and a half passed quickly.
At the end of the performance, the audience erupted in thunderous applause that lingered for a long time. After bowing and leaving the stage, the conductor returned for an encore.
The musicians only left the stage and returned backstage after the entire concert had completely ended.
Liang Yizhi packed her things, changed her clothes, and found that Gu Yinyan had just sent her a message saying he was waiting for her outside.
Liang Yizhi dared not delay and quickly finished packing.
Wu You finished tidying up, picked up the violin case, and came to her side, asking, "Shall I go out with you? I saw Brother Shi lingering there, his eyes kept glancing at me, and I'm afraid he'll say he'll take me home."
Liang Yizhi laughed at her, saying that she had previously said she was useless, but now she was acting like a coward. She asked, "You didn't drive today?"
"No, I came from nearby around noon today."
"Then why don't you just reject him outright?"
"I don't dare," Wu You stamped her foot. "Look at Shi Ge's face. He's usually very nice to me. I really can't bring myself to do it."
Liang Yizhi turned to the side and peeked behind Wu You, just in time to meet Shi Ruocheng's gaze, although he immediately looked away.
Shi Ruocheng has a gentle appearance and looks like an honest man. He speaks in a proper tone and has a strong sense of righteousness, so it is really hard for people to say anything harsh to him.
Liang Yizhi linked her arm with hers: "Poor Shi-ge. Then just tell me you want to come home with me."
We arrived outside the concert hall.
There weren't many people at the entrance, and Liang Yizhi immediately spotted the black sedan parked in the distance.
A handsome figure stood beside the car.
The autumn wind was bleak, making his clothes flutter, but his body stood there steadily like a heavy bell.
Wu You stared at the figure for a moment, then asked Liang Yizhi, "You said your friend was waiting for you outside, is this the person? He looks familiar."
"Yes, the one you've met before, Gu Yinyan."
As he drew closer, that face quickly stirred Wu You's memory. After all, anyone who had seen that appearance even once would find it hard to forget.
Liang Yizhi stepped forward, remembering that Wu You had said she hadn't driven today, and asked Gu Yinyan, "Young Master Gu, is it alright to bring one more person today?"
“No need, no need,” Wu You immediately declined, “It’s no trouble for you.”
Liang Yizhi clasped her hands together and rubbed them a few times towards Gu Yinyan: "Give her a ride on the way! Look how dangerous it is for a girl to go home alone at night."
"It's really okay, and we're carrying two instruments, we can't put them down..." Wu You tugged at her a few times from behind.
It's fine to owe Liang Yizhi a favor, but she feels embarrassed to owe Gu Yinyan a favor, since she's not familiar with him.
Gu Yinyan didn't say much, but glanced at Wu You and said, "Put the zither in the back."
Fortunately, Gu Yinyan's luxury car was extravagant enough.
The trunk is very large, with enough width, height and depth to fit two violins flat at an angle.
After putting down the zither, just as he was about to get into the car, a car with its lights on came from behind. Gu Yinyan silently stood on the outside.
Wu You was drawn to the light behind him and instinctively wanted to turn around, but a wide wall of people suddenly appeared in front of him.
Her nose was almost touching the collar of the other person's trench coat. She smelled a faint fragrance that could only be detected at that distance.
Wu You's heart started pounding.
Gu Yinyan showed no expression, but simply reminded her, "Watch where you're going."
"Oh, okay." Wu You turned back, trembling.
The two of them got into the car together, with Liang Yizhi sitting in the back seat with Wu You.
Gu Yinyan asked, "Address?"
Wu You gave the name of the neighborhood.
Gu Yinyan started the car, then took a neck pillow from the passenger seat and handed it to the back.
Liang Yizhi accepted it.
Her neck was sore and stiff, and she needed this: "It has to be you."
She then pulled out a cushion from the back seat next to her and said to Wu You, "You can use this too, it will make you more comfortable."
"good."
As the car drove out of the concert hall, Liang Yizhi leaned forward, gripping the back of the driver's seat, and asked Gu Yinyan in the front:
"Um...did you see the message in the group chat?"
"Um."
"Are you going tomorrow night?" she asked, referring to their meeting at He Xintu's bar the following night.
“Go,” Gu Yinyan answered decisively, “go meet the male lead in your TV series.”
Liang Yizhi understood that he was mocking her for being so obsessed with He Xintu. She pursed her lips, patted the back of the car seat, and said, "...Don't talk nonsense."
Wu You listened silently to their conversation the whole time.
Seeing that she was sitting silently to one side, Liang Yizhi was worried that she felt neglected, so she explained it to her again.
Liang Yizhi is used to this: when she becomes the only connection between everyone else in the group, she will take the initiative to share the topics they are talking about.
We never neglect either party.
Wu You felt touched, nodded, then shook her head: "Have fun, I have plans for tomorrow night."
Liang Yizhi did not insist.
They started chatting.
Liang Yizhi started talking about today's rehearsal again. They passed a barbecue stall at noon that looked pretty good. If Gu Yinyan came again next time, they could go there for a late-night snack together.
Her thoughts were particularly scattered. As she spoke, she remembered that there was a barbershop next to that store, where there was a very handsome Tony with a trendy hairstyle.
Gu Yinyan disagreed, saying that she had mistaken the customer for a hairdresser.
Liang Yizhi then asked Wu You for confirmation: "He's really handsome, isn't he Wu You? The one with the blond hair, we saw him today."
When she turned her head, Wu You was staring blankly ahead. Only when she heard Liang Yizhi ask her a question did she snap out of her daze.
"Huh? What?"
"I'm talking about Tony, the one we saw today."
"Oh, oh," Wu You finally responded, "He is indeed very handsome, with a very outstanding temperament."
Liang Yizhi noticed that Wu You's behavior was a bit off.
She quietly took out her phone and sent her a message asking:
【What's wrong? 】
Wu You picked up her vibrating phone and replied: 【Huh?】
You seem distracted.
It's nothing... it's just that the car is a bit too hot to sit on, and I felt bad troubling your friend.
Liang Yizhi knew she was shy and hadn't changed her posture since getting on the bus, so she teased her:
Is it your butt that's burning, or your face?
Seeing through Liang Yizhi's disguise, Wu You's face flushed even more, and she quietly reached out and pinched her.
After thinking for a few seconds, Wu You typed another message on her phone and sent it to Liang Yizhi:
You mentioned last time that your friend... didn't seem to have a girlfriend yet? Does he still not have one?
【No. 】
"Could I... get to know him?"
Liang Yizhi seemed to realize something: "You're interested in him? Then why haven't you said a word?"
Wu You: [We just met, I don't know what to talk about.]
Liang Yizhi thought to herself, "What's so difficult about this?"
She suddenly found herself playing matchmaker. Both Gu Yinyan and Wu You had been single for a long time—wasn't this a perfect coincidence?
As a liaison, she always feels obligated to help her friends make connections and build bridges for their happiness.
After much thought, Liang Yizhi found a common ground between Wu You and the two of them, trying to pry them open up:
"Wu You, I remember you have a dog at home, don't you?"
"right."
What breed is it?
"A Pomeranian."
“Pomeranians are so cute,” Liang Yizhi said, smoothly introducing the topic. She winked. “Gu Yinyan also has a pet at home. What a coincidence, isn’t it?”
Seeing that the topic had inexplicably turned to him, Gu Yinyan lifted his eyelids and glanced at the person in the rearview mirror.
Wu You forced a smile, cold sweat pouring down his face: "It's quite a coincidence. What kind of pet do you keep?"
Liang Yizhi didn't answer for her, but patted the chair instead.
Gu Yinyan softly uttered a single word:
"fish."
"..."
Wu You was embarrassed once again.
It's a wonder that Liang Yizhi could come up with such a common topic. Fish and dogs, even animals from two different habitats, how can this be considered a coincidence?
Liang Yizhi thoughtfully added, "He has a very large and beautiful fish tank at home, and he keeps many kinds of fish."
Wu You: "I've never kept fish before. Are fish easy to keep?"
"They're not easy to raise." Gu Yinyan said indifferently.
“A bunch of them die every few days,” he said. “I’d rather get dogs.”
"..."
Liang Yizhi cursed Gu Yinyan inwardly, "How could he be such a killjoy? He can't even have a proper conversation!" Wu You finally took a difficult step, only to pull her toes back.
Liang Yizhi tried to liven things up, but to little avail.
She thought, "This can't be the case; I have to encourage Wu You."
Liang Yizhi decided to get off the bus first, not wanting to be a third wheel, and give the two of them some space.
Perhaps if she were gone, Wu You and Gu Yinyan wouldn't have so many reservations about chatting.
Liang Yizhi had an idea. She suddenly bent down, buried her face in her thighs, and said, "Ouch... my stomach hurts a little."
Gu Yinyan immediately asked, "What did you eat for dinner?"
"...It's nothing, just a set meal prepared by the group." Liang Yizhi pretended to be in pain, clutching her stomach, and answered with a mix of truth and falsehood, "Gu Yinyan, why don't you turn right first and take me there, and then you can take Wu You there later."
Wu You was startled and looked at her. Liang Yizhi, who had been hiding between her legs, turned her head and gave her a wink.
The first half of her journey was the same as Wu You's, but at the next intersection, they went in opposite directions. She needed to have Gu Yinyan turn there and take her home first.
Wu You stroked Liang Yizhi's back, cooperating with the gesture.
She was truly grateful for Liang Yizhi's good intentions.
I just wondered if I was overacting...
Gu Yinyan couldn't see what was happening in the back seat.
He then asked, "Do you have any medicine at home?"
Liang Yizhi had poor eating habits and liked to eat unclean food, so she had suffered from gastroenteritis once or twice. Seeing that her body was bent over deeply, Gu Yinyan suspected that her old illness might have relapsed.
"Let's go to the hospital."
He was about to turn on his turn signal when Liang Yizhi hurriedly raised her hand: "No, I just... have diarrhea. Anyway, please take me home first."
"...Just diarrhea?"
“Really,” Liang Yizhi said. “I’ll be fine after going to the toilet when I get back.”
At her insistence, Gu Yinyan finally drove to the outside of Liang Yizhi's residential compound. Before he drove into the gate, Liang Yizhi immediately said:
"It's alright, no need to see me in, I'll go in myself!"
She quickly got out of the car and found that Gu Yinyan had also gotten out.
Liang Yizhi's heart tightened as she watched Gu Yinyan walk to the back of the car and take the violin out of the trunk for her.
She breathed a sigh of relief; lying really does make you nervous.
Composing herself, she took the violin from his hands and slung it over his shoulder. When she looked up again, she realized that Gu Yinyan's eyes had been fixed on her face the entire time.
Those eyes reminded her of that night in front of her parents' house. He stared at her intently with those cold, inquisitive eyes.
Feeling guilty, Liang Yizhi asked in a slightly awkward low voice, "What's wrong?"
Gu Yinyan didn't say a word, but just looked at her deeply for a couple of seconds before getting back into the car.
In the past, when she came home, Gu Yinyan would walk her downstairs and wait for her to go upstairs before leaving. But tonight, he didn't even say goodbye and got into his car directly.
The feeling of unease only belatedly surfaced now.
Liang Yizhi stood by the roadside, waving to the people inside the car. A gentle evening breeze blew on her face, and she forced a smile, watching them leave.
The autumn breeze was refreshing, but her heart felt heavy and suffocated because of Gu Yinyan's expression.
The only outlet for venting felt like it was covered in a layer of grease, impossible to wipe away no matter what.
...It seems she did something wrong.
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